It’s Time To “Change The World”

Teens And Young Adults Are More Concerned About Social Issues Than Ever Before

Teens and young adults realize this is THEIR country; this is THEIR world and they are responsible for it’s well-being;

Teens and young adults need guidance in figuring out how to make THEIR country and THEIR world a better place;

BUT, teens and young adults DON’T want to be told what to do. They want to be allowed the opportunity to figure things out for themselves.

Well here are a few simple facts in that regard:

Today’s teens and young adults have more power in the palm of their hands (a typical smartphone) than the Apollo astronauts had when they went to the moon;

Today’s teens and young adults have, in the palm of their hands, the greatest communication network ever invented in the history of mankind up until this point;

Today’s teens and young adults have been using that power to accomplish some incredible things, BUT ALL TOO OFTEN, they use it to simply consume content that is being “sold” to them or “distributed freely” to them, rather than using that power to create. That can change . . . That must change . . . That will change . . .

More Teens Are Overweight Or Obese Than At Any Time In The History Of Mankind

Recent statistics released in 2008 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Journal of the American Medical Association indicated the following:

Among American children and adolescents, in 2007 – 2008, the estimated obesity rates were:

16.7% of non-Hispanic white boys were obese

19.8% of non-Hispanic black boys were obese

26.8% of Mexican-American boys were obese

14.5% of non-Hispanic white girls were obese

29.2% of non-Hispanic black girls were obese

17.4% of Mexican-American girls were obese

Between 1988-1994 and 2007-2008 the prevalence of obesity increased:

From 11.6% to 16.7% among non-Hispanic white boys.

From 10.7% to 19.8% among non-Hispanic black boys.

From 14.1% to 26.8% among Mexican-American boys.

Among girls in the period 2007-2008, non-Hispanic black adolescents (29.2%) were significantly more likely to be obese compared with non-Hispanic white adolescents (14.5%).

Similarly, non-Hispanic black adolescent girls (16.3%) were more likely to be obese compared with non-Hispanic white adolescent girls (8.9%) in the period 1988-1994.

Between 1988-1994 and 2007-2008 the prevalence of obesity increased:

From 8.9% to 14.5% among non-Hispanic white girls.

From 16.3% to 29.2% among non-Hispanic black girls.

From 13.4% to 17.4% among Mexican-American girls.

Mind you, these are just obesity rates.

They don’t even begin to cover those who are overweight enough to be unhealthy but not overweight enough to be considered obese.

What does it mean when someone is classified as overweight or obese?

Obesity classification is based upon a measurement known as body mass index (BMI).

BMI compares one’s weight and height to statistical norms.

Rather than go into complicated detail, suffice it to say that overweight means someone has a higher BMI than is normal.

Obese means someone has a grossly higher BMI than is normal.

Exact measurements are not necessary.

The bottom line is that chances are, the average American teenager has a significant change of being either overweight or obese.

What Can Be Done About The Situation?

What can be done is to:

Remind teens and young adults that this is THEIR country; this is THEIR world and they are responsible for it’s well-being;

Remind teens and young adults that their parents and adults in their lives (and EON for that matter) stand ready to provide guidance in figuring out how to make THEIR country and THEIR world a better place;

Remember that teens and young adults DON’T want to be told what to do. They want to be allowed the opportunity to figure things out for themselves.

That’s why EON is hereby issuing the “Change The World Challenge” to all teenagers and young adults in America (and the world).

The challenge comes in 2 parts:

Reading the Declaration of Personal Response-Ability as found below; and

Agreeing to sign off on the Declaration of Personal Response-Ability and agreeing to live their lives in accordance with it’s principles.

If you are overweight or obese, no one else is responsible for your situation. If you know someone who is overweight or obese, no one else is responsible for their situation.

No one else is responsible for your health, be it good or be it bad.

No one . . . Not even your parents or the adults in your life . . .

Your parents and the adults in your life may contribute to the situation and may empower you to make poor choices, but it is still you who is making those poor choices, NOT your parents.

If the situation is going to be corrected, it is NOT going to be because your parents and the adults in your life took the appropriate actions for you.

It is going to be because YOU took the appropriate actions.

Your parents and the adults in your life may encourage your taking the appropriate actions and they may create an environment that encourages you to take those appropriate actions, but if the situation is going to correct itself it will be because YOU took the appropriate actions, not anyone else.

So, What Is Responsibility?

Different people will have different definitions of responsibility. We here at EON like to define responsibility in the simplest way possible.

Responsibility is the Ability to Be Responsible

We ALL have the ABILITY to be RESPONSIBLE.

The problem is that all too often we fail to exercise that ability. In fact, we live in a society that, all too often, encourages us to do the exact opposite.

That may sound harsh, but it’s the truth and it’s time to STOP DENYING THE TRUTH.

Furthermore, your parents and the adults in your life need to foster an environment that allows you, as teenagers, the opportunity to develop the ABILITY to be RESPONSIBLE.

You’ve no doubt heard of the United States Declaration of Independence? Well, it’s time for all of us to make a new declaration.

The Declaration of Personal Response-Ability

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for a people to dissolve the artificially created misconceptions that have served to prey upon them, and to assume among the powers of the universe, a level of personal response-ability demanded of them by the Laws of Nature, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to take said action.

We hold this truth to be self-evident, that all persons are henceforth response-able for the consequences of their own actions and inactions, that they are endowed with certain unalienable response-abilities, that among these are response-ability for their own life; their own health; their own liberty; their own financial well-being; and their own happiness.

That to secure these rights, persons must no longer blame anyone else for the problems in their lives.

In fact, they need blame no one, not even themselves.

Blame is irrelevant.

Correcting the situation is the only thing that is relevant.

Are you ready to assume personal responsibility for your life and your health?

Stanley F. Bronstein

Attorney, CPA and Author

President and Member Board of Directors

As his 50th birthday grew nearer, Stanley decided enough was enough. He was tired of living a life of obesity.

Since February 2009, Stanley has dropped from a weight of 320 pounds to the mid-190s. He has gone from a life of inactivity to walking a half-marathon daily and full marathons on many weekends.

His latest book in what he calls his “iWarriorWalk Pathfinder Series” is designed to help people ask (and answer) key questions about themselves. Stanley believes that the only way We The People of the United States are going to solve our problems (especially the growing problem of obesity) is by asking the right questions and by coming up with appropriate answers.

Through Foundation EON, he hopes to help you (and America) do just that.

Polls

Have You Taken The Change The World Challenge?

Yes. I've signed the Declaration of Personal Reponse-Ability and decided to take responsibility for my own life

Yes, I've signed the Declaration of Personal Response-Ability and gotten others to sign it too